Mobile applications addressing violence against women: a systematic review

Eisenhut, Katharina; Sauerborn, Ela; Garcia-Moreno, Claudı́a; Wild, Verina

doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001954

Cited by 45 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Recent systematic reviews showed that the efficacy of ICT-based mobile apps for health (mHealth) is still limited, as research in the field lacks long-term studies and existing evidences of impact are inconsistent [52]. Also, mHealth in the domain of violence against women (VAW) showed an abundance of apps addressing one-time emergency or avoidance solutions, and a paucity of preventative apps, which indicates the need for studies addressing data security, personal safety, and efficacy of interventions using apps to address VAW [53]. By extension, investigating the situation of ICT in IPV seems a necessary step.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of ICT-based intimate partner violence interventions: a systematic review

Morr

Layal

2020

BMC Public Health

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Background Intimate Partner Violence is a “global pandemic”. Meanwhile, information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the internet, mobile phones, and smartphones, are spreading worldwide, including in low- and middle-income countries. We reviewed the available evidence on the use of ICT-based interventions to address intimate partner violence (IPV), evaluating the effectiveness, acceptability, and suitability of ICT for addressing different aspects of the problem (e.g., awareness, screening, prevention, treatment, mental health). Methods We conducted a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, using the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Key search terms included women, violence, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, information, communication technology, ICT, technology, email, mobile, phone, digital, ehealth, web, computer, online, and computerized. Only articles written in English were included. Results Twenty-five studies addressing screening and disclosure, IPV prevention, ICT suitability, support and women’s mental health were identified. The evidence reviewed suggests that ICT-based interventions were effective mainly in screening, disclosure, and prevention. However, there is a lack of homogeneity among the studies’ outcome measurements and the sample sizes, the control groups used (if any), the type of interventions, and the study recruitment space. Questions addressing safety, equity, and the unintended consequences of the use of ICT in IPV programming are virtually non-existent. Conclusions There is a clear need to develop women-centered ICT design when programming for IPV. Our study showed only one study that formally addressed software usability. The need for more research to address safety, equity, and the unintended consequences of the use of ICT in IPV programming is paramount. Studies addressing long term effects are also needed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of ICT-based intimate partner violence interventions: a systematic review

Morr

Layal

2020

BMC Public Health

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“…With regard to apps whose function consists of or includes offering immediate support by sending automatic alerts, including GPS location, if activated by the victim (so-called “emergency app”) [ 10 ], possible recipients, according to our interview, should be the Single Emergency Number (112) (56.0%), the Anti-Violence-and-Stalking Number (1522) (39.7%), or (a) preselected contact(s) of the victim (3.5%). In total, 0.7% of respondents would not desire such a function (question D12).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since 2014, women have had a silent ally against gender-based violence such as anti-violence apps for mobile devices [ 9 ]. While some focus on prevention and information through tests and listening desks, others offer emergency expedients in the context of aggression and emergency numbers, many are able to locate the nearest anti-violence centers, in order to receive concrete support as soon as possible [ 10 ]. Based on the nature of the service provided, these apps can essentially be of three types.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Usage of Mobile Apps to Fight Violence against Women: A Survey on a Sample of Female Students Belonging to an Italian University

Tozzo

Gabbin

Politi

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The prevalence of violence against women continues to grow and this plague has had a huge impact from a clinical, social and judicial point of view. For this reason, alongside the efforts made at the legislative level to prevent the phenomenon and to improve assistance to victims in recent years, efforts to contain and better manage this phenomenon have also grown in the extra-legislative sphere: for example, through the application of new technological solutions and safety planning. In recent years, there has been an increase in the marketing of mobile phone apps dedicated to the prevention of violence against women, with different functions and different objectives. The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge and propensity to download this type of app in a group of 1782 Italian female university students. This research was performed using an online questionnaire administered to female students attending four different courses (law, medicine, healthcare professionals and political sciences) at one Italian university. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze associations between responses to questionnaire and the type and the year of course. The results show that 62.6% of our sample are unaware of the existence of these apps and that 79.5% of the sample would be willing to download one in the future. With regard to whom to turn to after a violent incident, the majority of those interviewed (43.9%) would turn to the police and not to health facilities. According to our findings, law female students (52.7%) think, more than any other category, that the most effective way to improve public safety and reduce the number of victims lies in legislative solutions. Our results suggest that, although this type of technology may be promising, it is necessary to improve the knowledge and dissemination of these apps in order to make them a useful tool for prevention, education and assistance in cases of violence against women.

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“…The final category straddles ‘corporeal’ and ‘communications’ by acting as an alarm or alert system as well as possessing recording capabilities (White and McMillan, 2020). In keeping with this literature, Eisenhut and her colleagues (2020) recently conducted a systematic review of apps directed at violence against women and concluded that they tend to be designed for acute emergency situations rather than possessing preventive capacity.…”

Section: Scholarship On Anti-rape Devices and The Construction Of Women’s Bodiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women’s Bodies and the Evolution of Anti-rape Technologies: From the Hoop Skirt to the Smart Frock

2021

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In this article, we explore smart deterrents and their historical precedents marketed to women and girls for the purpose of preventing harassment, sexual abuse and violence. Rape deterrents, as we define them, encompass customs, architectures, fashions, surveillant infrastructures, apps and devices conceived to manage and protect the body. Online searches reveal an array of technologies, and we engage with their prevention narratives and cultural construction discourses of the gendered body. Our critical analysis places recent rape deterrents in conversation with earlier technologies to untangle the persistent logics. These are articulated with reference to the ways that proto-digital technologies have been imported into the realm of ubiquitous computing and networks. Our conceptual framework offers novel pathways for discussing feminine bodies and their messy navigation of everyday life that include both threats to corporeal safety and collective imaginings of empowerment.

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Mobile applications addressing violence against women: a systematic review

Cited by 45 publications

References 34 publications

Effectiveness of ICT-based intimate partner violence interventions: a systematic review

Effectiveness of ICT-based intimate partner violence interventions: a systematic review

The Usage of Mobile Apps to Fight Violence against Women: A Survey on a Sample of Female Students Belonging to an Italian University

Women’s Bodies and the Evolution of Anti-rape Technologies: From the Hoop Skirt to the Smart Frock

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